Chapter 21 - Choosing the Exercises (3)

After Nathan explained the details about contracting the exercise to Theodore, he cleaned up the scroll by taking them back and arranging them into his storage artifact.

Although the size of the space in his storage artifact was around this house's garden, there were many things to be stored; it was better to keep his personal space clean and tidy.

Nathan organized the objects in his space by using his consciousness to lead and move the things inside.

When he finished his arrangement, he looked outside the window and noticed it was already noon. He prepared to take Theodore to each lunch.

'After Theodore starts practicing, I can give him the hunger pills.' Nathan pondered. It was alright to go outside and eat from time to time, but he also slightly felt the inconvenience of needing to do it thrice daily, especially when it interrupted the practice time of him and his disciple.

...

Nathan and Theodore soon returned to the house after finishing their lunch.

This time, Nathan bought Theodore to the garden because Nathan prepared to let his disciple determine his path for the body-strengthening technique. It was better to do such a thing in an open space.

"The next part is the body-strengthening exercise," Nathan started the conversation after he and Theodore sat on the wooden seat in the tree's shade they had seated the previous time.

"The main method for a mana user to toughen up their body is to practice the combat arts, which is also the body-strengthening exercise."

"There are many types of combat; some require weapons, and some do not." Nathan paused, bought out a book, and handed it to Theodore.

The book contained the typical detailed list of the fighting methods and the primary classification.

'It is one thick book,' Theodore thought as he opened and listened to his teacher briefly introduce each fighting style.

His future self had read similar documents before, whether when he studied at the academy or when he traveled. However, the listed contained far less than the booklet before him; only during the great war did he witness such a detailed classification of attacking type.

Theodore subconsciously deduced Nathan's origin when a thought flashed into his mind. He lowered his head and blinked to hide a glint in his eye.

During that war, when the fate of humanity was at stake, everyone was united. The fighting method popularized to coach the soldiers was from the cooperation of many peak powerhouses of the continent.

Theodore quietly considered; he could roughly infer the level of his teacher's hidden background based on the complete combat classification brought out.

He took a little while to calm his beating heart and excitement; he then secretly signed, 'Being with the teacher was really a test of my composure...'

During Nathan's explanation, Theodore occasionally inquired about some extraordinary fighting methods he was curious about.

Nathan's guidance made Theodore feel different from the experience of learning by himself in his previous life. At that time, he found that he had no one to ask and solve his doubt, not without exchanging enough resources.

He had many questions and problems unanswered from his future memory; he decided to inquire about them from his teacher slowly when the timing was right.

When Nathan finished describing the various combat arts, Theodore also closed the booklet.

"Do you have any combat art you are especially fond of?" Nathan asked; however, with his familiarity with Theodore, he could somewhat guess the answer.

'Sword!' Theodore replied firmly in his heart. He had many reasons for choosing the sword as his primary combat art.

He mainly used a sword as his weapon in his previous life, so he was familiar with it. By selecting the sword, he would not need to start from scratch.

From his future memory, he knew that his teacher, Nathan, also used a sword as his weapon.

Moreover, the Sorrel kingdom was also famous for the way of swords; many people specialized in using them. Therefore, it was easier to get access to the corresponding education and resources.

With so many benefits, he found no reason to choose other types of combat art. Of course, it might be a different story if his teacher had a method to determine that other weapons suit him.

No matter what Theodore thought, he did not reply immediately. He dropped his head as if considering something.

"Teacher, is there a method to show which combat art a person is suitable for?" Theodore asked after he raised his head to look at his teacher with bright eyes full of anticipation.

Theodore could not directly say that he wanted to practice swordsmanship as he did not know how to explain it; however, he could slowly find reasons to exclude other combat arts until only swords remained.

Nathan tried to hold back his smile at Theodore's reply; he snickered, 'I guess it right.'

With Theodore's cautiousness, he would not respond straight away, even if he had an answer. His disciple would instead try to use reasons and guide it to his choice.

'It seems that Theodore also had a secret,' Nathan considered, but he still answered his disciple's question.

"Generally, there is no way but to try each training each weapon one by one," Nathan replied, pausing to tease Theodore.

"...Oh," Theodore's eyes dimmed correspondingly, and he pretended to sigh lightly in disappointment.

Nathan was speechless by Theodore's action, 'What an actor.'

Did his disciple think he did not see through his act? The eyes were darkening too fast, and the signing sounded excessively fake.

Nathan lightly shook his head helplessly; he could only continue explaining, "There is indeed a method, but it is not very practical and did not work well for most people."

"This approach only works for combat art that requires weapons."

Nathan paused and drew out several weapons from his storage artifact. The armaments floated around him and his disciple, forming many small circular circumferences.

Nathan resumed, "Some special conditions can give weapons the birth of consciousness. People called them spiritual weapons."

"When this happens, the weapons will have their thinking and can subconsciously choose the master that suits them."

'How is it possible for teacher to have so many such treatures? What he brings out are spiritual weapons, not wildflowers at the roadside; this does not make sense!' Theodore was in a trance as he looked around.

There were many armaments, one of each different type.

Theodore saw a sword, an ax, a knife, an archer, a sickle, a dagger, a lance, a knuckle, a scythe, a spear, a stick, a maze, and many others.

He roughly counted; there were around twenty armaments here!

It was hard for him to imagine that they were all the rare spiritual weapons a person could only encounter but not seek.

He was deeply curious about where Nathan got them from!!!

Nathan then urged Theodore, who was in a daze, into the center of the floating weapons. Then he saw something he did not expect to happen.

The only sword among the armaments trembled lightly. It was slender, long, and shone brightly with sacred light.

Theodore was excited as he reached out his hand to touch the sword; however, before he could do so, a dark scythe with a profound killing aura flashed passed.

The scythe pointed its sharp edge between Theodore's hand and the sword, clearly intending to stop them.

Theodore and the two weapons were in an awkward's position, and the atmosphere between them stagnated.

Nathan raised his brow, amused; he just intended to try and never expected to see such an exciting scene.